Causes of Blood in Cat Urine

Cat Urinary Problems

It could happen to you—one day, you find a few suspicious diluted blood drops in your bathtub or on your kitchen floor. You check your cat and cannot find any obvious signs of injury until you notice that they're urinating blood in the most inappropriate places, regardless of being perfectly house trained. Concerned, you schedule an appointment with your veterinarian.

Causes of blood in cat urine, a condition medically known as hematuria, may vary. The most common is a condition known as FLUTD, or a urinary tract infection. Often, owners have difficulty telling if their pet is urinating blood or defecating blood, as they find them straining and producing only a few drops of blood. More often than not, they are urinating blood, and because it is mixed in the urine, the blood drops usually assume a pinkish diluted tint.

The following are some of the most common causes of hematuria in cats.

Video: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

Causes

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD

In this case, crystals tend to form in the urine and cause complications.There are two form of crystals: struvite crystals and calcium oxalate. These crystals may aggregate and turn into stones that may be painful to pass. Such stones may form in the male cat's urethra and form a plug that may cause a urinary blockage, which may become potentially fatal within a few days or hours. When this happens, because the blockage prevents the cat from urinating, he will become poisoned from its own toxins (uremic poisoning).

The following are key symptoms of FLUTD in cats:

Painful urination

Straining to urinate

Urine limited to a few drops or worse, no urine output

Bloody urine

Cat Licking its genitals

Urinating out of the litter box

Symptoms of the blockage progressing in male cats:

Vomiting

Loss of Appetite

Lethargy

Shock

Death if left untreated once toxins overwhelm the body, poisoning the cat to death (uremic poisoning)

In this case, prompt treatment is what can make the difference between life or death. Upon seeing the vet, an obstructed cat will exhibit a large, hard bladder. The vet at this point will insert a catheter to unblock the cat. At this point, the cat will urinate abundantly. He may be kept at the hospital for a few days until he's peeing normally and given intravenous fluids in the meantime.

Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (just as those affected by FLUTD) tend to lead to urinating in the bath tub or other places outside the litter box, because the cat is in pain and tends to associate the litter box with pain. Therefore, he looks for alternative places. The cool surface of a bat tub or ceramic floors may appeal as well as relief from the from burning sensations near their genitals. Affected cats develop symptoms similar to FLUTD, which means painful urination, bloody urine, urinating in odd places, and licking genitals.

While males are the most common victims of FLUTD, females are more likely to suffer from urinary tract infections. Because females have wider urethras, it is easier for them to get bacteria to climb up the urethra and infect the bladder. Males have more narrow urethras, therefore it is less likely for bacteria to make it up there. Urinary tract infection treatments in cats consists of a course of antibiotics.

Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC)

If the urinalysis is negative for crystals or bacteria, then Feline Idiopathic Cystitis may be another suspect. Idiopathic means "of unknown cause," therefore, it is difficult to find a culprit. Some cats are prone to this disorder after episodes of stress. Treatment often consists of an administration of fluids, reduction of stress, and supportive care. In some cases, the drug Amitryptiline is prescribed.

Trauma

A cat that has been victim of some sort of trauma may have blood in the urine if the bladder was badly bruised. In this case, immediate veterinary attention should be sought.

Exposure to Rat Poison

If there are no symptoms suggesting a urinary tract infection, there is a chance that he or she could have been exposed to rodenticides. In this case, a vet visit is in order.

Pets exposed to rodent poison may develop bleeding problems because rodenticides contain products meant to cause the mouse or rat to bleed to death. Affected cats should be put on Vitamin K, which will help the blood clot properly again. A prognosis depends on how fast the cat is treated.

Bleeding Disorder

Bleeding disorders are another possible culprit. For instance, the cat may have a decreased number of blood platelet or poorly functioning blood platelets, which may cause unexplained bleeding episodes, and the unexplained presences of bruises with blood under the skin.

Bladder Cancer

Even though this is quite rare, this should always be ruled out—especially in senior felines that do not respond to antibiotics and still exhibit blood in the urine and other symptoms similar to a urinary tract infection.

These are some possibilities for your cat. If you see blood in the urine, make sure a proper vet evaluation is sought immediately. Especially when dealing with a male cat, which can progressively worsen within a day or two, or even hours.

In preparation for your visit to the vet, it could be helpful if you were able to collect a small urine sample so that your vet can swiftly test it. This means a quicker diagnosis so that the vet can properly prescribe treatment.

Comments

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Tuesday 3 months ago

of all the websites I've searched this was the most helpful thank you so much

Donny Marcellus 3 months ago

I needed to see this as my Pee cat is having issues. Thank you for showing this and letting me see the procedure.

cats 6 months ago

my female cat has been peeing dots of blood. i took her to the vet and said she is stressed out by our male cat. they gave us urinary food and calming pills. They haven't been helping what do i do?

I also have a male cat who is overawieght but not vomiting i can't tell if he is peeing regularly but i think he is should i take him for a check up to be safe?

Worried-sick 10 months ago

My cat was fine all day long but when i got back home i saw its puke lying on the floor and then a few minutes later i found a trail of bloody urine where she had walked. Dont know what to do. Vet's closed.

Roxanne 10 months ago

Our cat had kittens last night its almost 9am why is her stomach still moving so fast like she is breathing to hard is she ok

JD 13 months ago

My male 3 year old cat is peeing blood and extremely tired so I am worried that it has an infection or something of the sort. My dad thinks it's nothing and won't take it to the vet. What should I do?

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 19 months agofrom USA

Cats can be muzzled too for examinations. You can train your cat to accept a muzzle by feeding tasty food through it. Vets should not refuse treatment due to aggression, they should offer options (sedatives, muzzle,). Look for a vet that has staff who are part of the Fear Free Certification Program. For stress, you can try pheromone plug-ins, but there are also calming aids you can use (ask for your vet first). I wish you good luck and hope your kitty heals soon!

John 19 months agofrom UK

I'm not sure really what to do. My 14yo Tom cat was diagnosed with Idiopathic Cystitis several years ago, and put on various meds. The vets also said there was nothing else they could do. There has been a reoccurance of the symptoms in the last couple of weeks, I restarted his meds but with minimal results, he is passing blood as described above in his urine now. I'm really worried, but am loathe to call the vets again just to be fobbed off or charged exorbitant amounts for unnecessary tests. Although he is insured, the vets own claims manager has made such a hash of his claims account that the insurance company rejects most claims as a matter of course.

He mostly eats wet food, and the kibble available to the other cats is "urinary care" type for when he eats some. He no longer tolerates meloxacam ( used previously for muscle spasm) so I cannot give him any painkiller. He is also on meds for hyperthyroidism.

I suspect he is stressed as I'm in the process of moving house and stuff is getting boxed up around him. He has become really nervous as he's got older. 2 of the vets already refuse to treat him as he's very large 8.5kg, not fat, muscle and can be very aggressive when he thinks he has no escape.

So, although I know he needs to go to the vet, I'm kinda wary of opening that can of worms. Lol! The eternal struggle.

Michele J. 20 months ago

Female cats can suffer from urinary problems, but for male cats, taking them to the vet immediately can mean the difference between life and death.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 20 months agofrom USA

Please see your vet, not much that can be done at home for cat uti. If you have a male kitty get to the vet sooner than later, things can go downhill quickly.

maryam 20 months ago

my cat have a problm of urain tract infection know

what can i do

Elleode 2 years ago

I wish I had seen this page before. I have just lost my beloved Bobby. I noticed he was weeing inside the house instead of outside like he normally did. I bought fellaway diffuser and some calming drops as thought down to stress and that he was marking his territory. I came home from work wednesday and wondered where he was and later found him crouched up and then we noticed he was bleeding. I took him to the vets the next morning where he was immediately treated. However despite the vets trying to save him his kidneys had already been damaged and we had to put him to sleep. I am now distraught and depressed that I didn't get him to the vets sooner. Do hot hesitate rush to the vets better safe than sorry.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 2 years agofrom USA

Good to hear your kitty is doing better, only a vet can determine what antibiotic is best and the dose for your kitty based on weight after running some diagnostic tests to determine if it's actually a urinary tract infection.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 2 years agofrom USA

A cat that continually attempts to pee, back and forth trips to the litter box, staying into position for some time making only a teeny drop, and blood in the urine is suggestive of a possible urinary tract infection. Please see your vet as your kitty may need antibiotics and it's very uncomfortable.

lidah 2 years ago

Mybad don't look like she n pain but she keep goin

bouchra 2 years ago

This page is so helpful, I have a male cat 3 years he fell yesterday from the 3 rd floor, nothing happens but after 10 minutes i noticed that he wants to pee but there is also blood!!! can you help me please

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 3 years agofrom USA

In most cases it turns out being a urinary tract infection. Please see your vet for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Amber 3 years ago

What's it mean when ur kitten bleeding peeing out blood could it be. because of worms

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 3 years agofrom USA

Was the vet aware of the urinary problems? What does he suspect the fever is triggered from? If he put her on a full spectrum antibiotic, there are chances that should also take care of a urinary infection if that is what she has. How many days has she been on the antibiotics? Since she saw the vet recently, I would consult with him on this.

Michelle 3 years ago

Just noticed my 6 month old kitten is peeing a few drops of blood at a time and no other urine in the litter box today.. She's eating well and drinking lots of water as normal though. She's on anti-biotics for a mild fever. And she's energetic and playful as always. Should I be worried? What could be wrong??

Ken Shearer 3 years ago

Nadia - Isn't nux vomica used to produce rat poison because it contains strychnine and brucine, these are two very deadly chemicals.

Nadia 4 years ago

I have a Maine coon named Milo. He is a big boy at 22 pounds and has had on and off urinary tract problems for several years. Just recently it got so bad that he was completely blocked. I had no choice but to go to the vet and they catheterize him for the cost of a used car. I didn't have a problem with them saving his life...putting a big dent in my finances. I love my cat and cannot complain BUT they only removed the blockage. After they removed the block and gave the cat back to me, he still had the same problem. They did not give me a solution to the problem. He could not pee normally pure and simple (still strains). I had to spend hours on the internet and another $200 in various suggested remedies essentially experimenting on my own cat until I came to a conclusion as to the inherent problem and how to avoid it in the future. A friend of mine by the name of Eric said to post on various forums so others could gain by me and poor Milo's experience so here it is: PH is the most important thing in helping a cat with urinary tract problems. BTW the vet said my cat has FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease). To test for PH, it is of the utmost importance that you obtain PH Strips. I use the brand Hydrion ph 5.5 - 8.0. Believe me this will be the most important part of your investment in SAVING your cat. A cat's normal PH is between 5.9 and 6.6 or just 6.0 to 6.5 to remember easier. The cat must have a PH within those values. Too low a PH value is considered too acidic, for example, 5.5 is acidic whereas a value of 7.5 is alkaline. If a cat's PH is too low or acidic, the cat can develop Calcium Oxilate stones. If the PH is too high then a cat can get Struvite crystals. The only way to know is to check your cat's urine with the PH paper and see where it stands. If the PH is too high or alkaline then I give my cat Vitamin C. If it is too low then I give my cat a bit of baking soda. I use a bottle designed to nurse kittens and mix either the Vit C or baking soda with water then squirt in his mouth quickly and gently one squirt so he can then adjust and not choke. Then I wait a minute or so and squirt again. If your cat vomits then I would get the homeopathic remedy nux vomica and let it dissolve in the same water with either the baking soda or Vit C. Find recommended dosages for nux vomica online. Be careful feeding your cats S/O and S/D or other urinary tract food because if it is designed to lower the PH to be more acidic then it WILL be counterproductive to the cats who already naturally maintain a healthy PH and is obviously no good for a cat who is too acidic. The only way to know for sure is to get and use the PH paper on their urine as they are either peeing or just finished and just wipe it close to where the urine exits the body on the tip of the female or male body part. Milo had been too acidic and that is what has been causing his urinary tract problems. The vet told me erroneously that I have to keep my cat on S/O the rest of his life. WRONG! They tested his PH but did not interpret the results correctly or with the understanding I just explained. He is too acidic, not alkaline. S/O and S/D make him more acidic, not alkaline. Is this how the Vet Clinics get to do so much business? But like I said the only way you will know for sure is if you test your cat's urine with PH paper. IMPORTANT!!!! GET THE PH PAPER so you know for sure what you are dealing with. Check your cat after every pee if necessary and adjust with either Vit C or baking soda. After I got Milo back and he started to strain - he never stopped straining once I got him back, it took me awhile to figure this all out by researching endless hours on the internet. Finally the epiphany happened when he was getting again to the point of being completely blocked. (I couldn't afford to buy another non-existent used car). I checked his urine and it was way off the scale acidic. I mixed some baking soda in with water and gave it to him with he baby bottle (bottle for nursing kittens available at any pet store) and 2 minutes later he had an evacuation of urine (a nice puddle) on my bed. The best present I could've ever had and it made me realize finally what was going on. I am getting rid of the S/O and "urinary tract formulas" I had been using for years. It doesn't work for my cat. He is already tooooooo acidic so why am I killing him by giving him something that is making him more acidic. Another thing that happened when I got Milo back is that he was straining again so very very hard and nothing was coming out. I EXPRESSED him which got him past that blockage which would again have completely blocked him if I hadn't. Expressed means applying a single or gentle palpitations to the bladder and is not as hard as you might think. Youtube has videos that demonstrate how to do this. Please look it up and learn it because it could save your cat's life. I also found homeopathic remedies helpful after I got him back. These are berberis vulgaris, cantharis, staphysagria. All 30C. Uva Ursi was also extremely helpful and it is safe for cats. Also throughout all this I made sure my cat was hydrated. I gave him water again using the kitten (nursing) bottle at least every hour or two. I also used Collodial Silver and D-Mannose. Milo is coming out of this bad episode. He is slowly coming back to the land of the living. I have gotten rid of all the S/O, S/D and "urinary tract food." It doesn't work for him, like I said he is already too acidic. I give all my seven cats including Milo good quality cat food like Origen, Wilderness Blue, and Max Cat. If I used the cheaper types of cat food then maybe the urinary tract food would be helpful because the S/O would counteract all the bad cat food. but please take from my little diatribe here that the only way you will know for sure what is best for your cat is to TEST his/her PH then proceed from there. Please take this to heart. It could save your cat from endless years of suffering. Also I wanted to mention that oxalate stones can be dissolved using oxalobacter formigenes but unfortunately it is not readily available on the marketplace. Fortunately, however, there are other probiotics you can buy and add to your cat’s food that will manufacture this in their gut. There seems to be some relationship to FLUTD/UTI and the lack of probiotics in a cat’s system. I put about a quarter teaspoon of kefir with live culture into the nursing bottle with water, shake well and administer to the cat. I can’t stress how important this is in helping your cat to get better especially since antibiotics kills the good bacteria as well. Hope this helps.

Peaches 4 years ago

My hairless female cat, Peaches, has just started urinating blood by only a few drops every 10-15 minutes. This really helped a lot!

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 4 years agofrom USA

Unfortunately, you are not alone, there are some cat owners who never find a real cause for the bloody urine. There is indeed a specific term for this :idiopathic, meaning of unknown cause. Did you try the x-rays using contrast media? Here is a linK:

I got my cat Kuro from the pound, Dec of 2012. He as 16yo. He was having some strange stomach symptoms and after many tests, in April 2013, he was diagnosed with Pancreatitis and put on fluids with B-12, prednisolone, pepsid, and potassium. Also flagyl & cerenia when needed. Although later tests revealed his pancreatitis # as still at 50, which Im told is quite high, he has gained almost 2 pounds and rarely throws up anymore. At around the beginning of June he started urinating blood. I had this happen with another cat and a convenia shot cured it, so we tried that and the blood stopped, but 2 weeks later it was back. We tried the convenia again and this time it didn't work. Since Kuro has had x-rays and an ultrasound which turned up nothing except to confirm he has pancreatitis. He seems perfectly healthy and normal but still continues to urinate blood. No clots. Just thought I would try for a fresh opinion. Thanks.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

Applecat, I am happy you found this article on cat urinary tract infections helpful. I haven't used this remedy but we had a few clients give it a try, for some seemed to help, for others it didn't. In any case, no particular harm seems to derive from adding a few drops of pure apple cider vinegar. Here is a link from vetinfo discussing its use, I hope Apple gets better! best wishes,

This page is so helpful! I have a beautiful 11 yr old male named Apple that has been through so much testing. After multiple ultrasounds, x-rays, bloodwork, antibiotic treatments, switching to Royal Canin SO and several thousands of dollars and 4 doctors later, my boy still has blood in his urine. Testing revealed slightly elevated kidney values (BUN,Creatinine) and stones in both kidneys. I'm told the stones do not cause him pain and are not the source of the blood. I was never told to increase his fluids. I just found that info on here! I am buying a cat fountain (he used to have one and loved it). Alexadry, do you have any experience with the the Apple cider vinegar? Thank you so much for starting this page! It is so helpful to read other experiences! I would love to hear any advice that you may have.

My cat Max 5 years ago

I first noticed bright red fluid outside the litter box area 15 days ago. Max had previously diagnosis of kidney disease and heartworm (I didn't realize cats get heartworm) . Vet gave Convenia shot. Today, I noticed blood again, and followed him and held container behind for him to pee into. as most everyone else here it was bright red color. Vet appt on Tuesday. He has been eating dry royal canin for kidney failure and he likes dry as well as wet food, so along with some others here, i'm wondering if this food is causing it or related to kidney failure. Vet initially said stress which could be a factor, b/c there is a neighbor cat outside and he is well aware of him. Just adding my story b/c this seems a frequent problem.

Lola 5 years ago

Reading all these sad stories of our beautiful babies having this horrendous condition, one of my guys is currently suffering from a UTI, he's been to three different vets and the latest is that it's idiopathic, caused by stress, even tho he's very laid back and cute...well, the latest episode of peeing in the bathroom sink shocked me to the core when I saw real red BLOOD, not pink tinged, without hardly any urine... Something just told me instinctively I need to hydrate my boy NOW - 5am and I got some cooled boiled water, filled up the syringe, and gently squirted it in his mouth. Did this FIVE times, 5 teaspoons in all, waited two hours, then same again. It's so obvious - you wouldn't drink concentrated Cordial without diluting first... His pee needs to be diluted with the most natural thing on Gods earth - WATER!! Now he's already back to more like 'normal' and peeing more and not so much blood. I'm glad of the meds, but if in doubt, WATER WATER WATER! HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!! Get as much as you can into your little darling, it made such a difference! Hope this helps anyone going thru the same thing as me and my gorgeous boy! (Also find it strange the vet never mentioned water and hydration?? Hmmmmm.......)

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

Denise thank you for sharing your story. I like the cloth idea as it help identify blood readily versus litter. Did you come up with this idea, or are vets recommending this now? That's interesting. I hope the vets get to the bottom of this soon, so Fluffy tail can get better, my very best wishes!

Denise 5 years ago

My cat, Fluffy Tail has been urinating blood off and on for a year. Three urine cultures at different times came back negative. The lab detected occult blood long before he started showing visible blood. No crystals. (He has chronic renal failure and he is trained to pee on a white cloth in his litter box - I wash the cloths like diapers - saves money on cat litter.) I have been finding pink or salmon colored urine. It is common for urine cultures to be negative because bacteria does not live long in urine specimens. My cat has had several ultrasounds, right now he is on a 12-week course of zenequin and amoxicillin to treat a possible kidney infection. Not all blood comes from the bladder - it can be coming from the kidneys. Fluffy Tail's bladder looked smooth on the ultrasound and no crystals or stones were detected in wither his bladder or kidneys. He is also on amlodipine for high blood pressure. High bp can cause bleeding in the kidneys. Also prednislone for inflammatory bowel disease, but this will also reduce inflammation in the kidneys. My regular vet and the specialist do not know what is causing the bleeding. Sorry for the long post - most common cuase of blood in the urine is a bladder infection - which would need immediate treatment. Long term bleeding may be coming from the kidneys. one other cause of bleeding is the scariest one of all - cancer.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

Let your vet know, he may need a different type of antibiotic.How long has it been? It takes usually 48-72 hours to see some results.

pippin 5 years ago

I didn't mean to cause him so much stress. We moved overseas and have had to change hotels once now. He wasn't a happy kitty. Now I'm hoping that his symptoms aren't of anything severe. The local vet put him on antibiotics but the symptom hasn't resolved itself. I really hope its not something like cancer or worse. :(

Baby 5 years ago

Thank you so much Alexadry, I am very happy to talk with you, you opinion is very seasonable and trust able, we will keep in communications that I can learn more from you, thank you for comforted me....

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

They should have let you know, but maybe they thought they could really save her; don't know. When my dog was sick they charge me $1,200 and never came up with a diagnosis or reason why he got sick. It can be frustrating and vet bills can be ridiculously high.I 'm so sorry for your loss:(

Baby 5 years ago

Thanks Alexadry, thanks again you comforted me a lot, yes I have a hard time understanding it, if the vet can't save her why they don't let me know first, for this visited I still have to pay 518.00 bill ............

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

So sorry to hear that. I wished I could help. Perhaps you can ask a copy of her medical records/papers. If you have a hard time understanding it, you can write some words here and I will be happy to help you. It sounds devastating but on a good note, if she died in her sleep at least she did not suffer.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

Oh my, sorry to hear that. It is hard to say what could have happened exactly. Since your cat was diabetic, it could be the levels of ketones got very high and your cat developed kidney failure or liver failure and went into a coma. If you are still in time, you can have a necropsy done, which could provide more details about your kitty's death. I wished the vet could give you an explanation. A big hug and kind regards.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

Things can get particularly critical with male cats, try to look for an emergency vet; most cities have one open 24/7.

Catz 5 years ago

My cat is peeing blood, i have no way of getting to the vets until tomorrow what should i do?!!!! Have just read that death in 24hrs is possible!!

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

Jo, I perfectly agree on the fact that several vets have little education on nutrition and gain the most from food reps. Of course, not all are this way.

Jo 5 years ago

I love how everyone posts about this diet and that diet and how they should switched to canned food or canned food made them sick, but NO ONE has any science to back any of it up. Look, dry food is horrendous. A cat in the wild has a a diet of ~70% water. A typical canned diet is ~79% water. A dry food diet is 5 - 10% water. This lack of water can cause tremendous problems. Furthermore, if your vet recommends switching the diet to, say, Hill's S/D (acidifies the urine to break down struvite crystals/stones), it should only be done TEMPORARILY. Continue to feed this diet for more than a few months and the urine can become so much more acidic that it starts to for CaO (calcium oxylate) crystals that can only be removed via surgery.

Do yourselves a favor and RESEARCH what the heck you're feeding your cat. Most vets are only required to take one animal nutrition class, thus most of their knowledge comes from the materials pet food companies distribute. Check out this site (it's not mine) if you want to become better informed about what you're feeding your cat and what could be causing its illness.

Your cat really needs to see a vet at this point! this is a medical emergency.

holly xx 5 years ago

My cat has just started peeing blood only a few drips though and is not doing any other wee.help plz

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

call around as prices vary from one place to another, you will likely need a vet visit, urinalysis and antibiotics, I think you can get all for under $200, some places under $100 depending on where you go.

jules 5 years ago

my 3yr old female black cat has some blood in her urine, she's quite a stubborn cat and often pee's and pooes on the floor when i leave her for the day, so haven't thought much different to her doing it every day this past week. but now theres a lil bit of blood in her wee and i don't know what to do. i really can't afford or have the time to take her to the vets, i need some advice. and anyone know how much it will cost roughly?x

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 5 years agofrom USA

Please see your vet, because males have narrower urethras, they can get blocked much quicker.

Honey 5 years ago

For the first time my 3 yr. old Persian male cat started having problems.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

collect a urine sample in a sterile container and take her to the vet, she may have a uti and need antibiotics. best wishes!

christina 6 years ago

My 20 year old female cats just recently started having urine in her blood. What should I do?

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

I really cannot answer this question, as it depends on a variety of factors. Is he able to urinate? In our clinic, cats that were unable to urinate or were straining were more critical, however you want to really prevent getting to that point as things get more costly and complicated to treat. I would see the vet today to play it safe since he is a male. Best wishes.

Dawn 6 years ago

I have a 16 year old abby that I found fresh red blood in several spots the litter box also has red blood and what looks like a small thin red bllod clot. Can I wait until tomarrow to take him in as it is Sunday.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

Being male, it is best to see the vet to be on the safe side. If he can still urinate that is a good sign, when he only dribbles a bit or urine and stops urinating that is when big trouble starts but you really do not want it to get to this point. So best to see the vet than waiting it and risking it getting worse, best wishes!

John 6 years ago

My male, 7-year-old cat peed for the first time outside the box tonight, and since he was on a light-colored kitty blanket, I could see that the urine was slightly pink in color. After the first episode, a second followed about an hour later, and in the same area. I read that one possible cause of this situation is stress, and indeed, he had just undergone quite a stress: against my better judgment, I let my wife give him a little bath in the sink. We don't do that often (one every few years), but I believe for cats that can clean themselves, it is totally unnecessary. Well, no more baths (unless he becomes unable to wash himself), but in the meantime, I am worried for the poor guy. He was shivering (even after we tried our best to dry him off), I think mainly from fright and the unpleasantness of being washed. But I still was shocked that he peed outside the box and that the color was somewhat pink. Having read of the consequences of not seeking treatment, I will take him to the vet tomorrow. Or can I wait a few days to see whether the bad situation (out of box + discoloration) recurs? I'm hoping that once his stress is alleviated, he will be OK again.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

Welcome to cat peeing blood mystery club. you are not alone, many owners have cats that urinate normally and still have blood in their urine which is indicative of problems. I wished there was a way around this but generally more tests are needed when the cat keeps peeing blood. have you asked your vet his opinion. Here is a link about Idiopathic FUS which more and more cats seem to be affected:

i have a male cat, about three months old. He started having urinary problems a few months ago and i tried apple cider vinegar which seemed to clear things up, but only temporarily. two weeks ago his problems were back (peeing in the sink and bathtub) I took him to the vet and spent 60 on a shot of antibiotics (the name of it was like convienceia or something like that that has the word "convenient" in it) the doc said that the one shot would clear up his problems. that was two weeks ago and the doc said the shot worked for a week, meaning he would be getting antiobiotics in his system for a week from the shot. well yesterday there was more urine in the sink and it was definitely bloody. He isn't having problems expelling the urine (in fact he peed on me at the vets because he was scared) so I don't think he has any blockages, i felt his bladder and it was empty. I read all the posts on this thread and am still at a loss. the cat has no other syptoms and appears to be happy and healthy in every other way. I don't understand how he could be sick again from a uti since the antibiotics only quit working again. I clean the cat box twice a day and he has fresh water all the time. i have caught him drinking from the fish tank on several occasions (even tho he has fresh water) but not lately. I was wondering if you could give me any more info on stress causing this problem because i don't kno what else to do at this point. im a single mom on foodstamps and already borrowed money to take him to the vet in the first place. Thanks in advance!!

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

Thank you for sharing your cat's experience with blood in cat urine and crystals.

NoMoKitty 6 years ago

My cat is 13 years old and for 2 days has been passing blood through his urine.. I took him to the vet today.. and the Doctor said it could be a possibility of Kidney Stones, or a Diagnosis, he was Urine Tested and we found out that VERY COMMONLY male cats form crystals in their urethra's. Luckily, there are anti-biotics to stop the infection and specially made Purina Prescription Urinary food, which is high in magnesium to dissolve these crystals!!! and if your cat has kidney stones, do not worry!! Recently, vets have formulated a food meant to dissolve these kidney stones, whereas in the past surgery was the only option. Take your kitty to the vet ASAP!! The longer you wait the more complicated and expensive it is.

My kitty is only 9 months old and pretty bad off... noticed bloody urine yesterday.... now on antibiotics... he won't eat... very listless and shaky... don't know what to do! Its my 8 year olds cat... she is very worried! Send prayers...

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

Close your daughter's room so he cannot go in the crib. Can you close him in the bathroom temporarily? Do you have a room preferably with tiled floors you can put him in with his litter box? I hope he gets better soon. Clean up his messes with an enzyme-based cleaner.

2nd occurrence 6 years ago

I have a 5 yr old male Persian that originally started having accidents mixed with blood 5 wks ago. Xray and palapatations ruled out stones and he was diagnosed with an inflamed urethra. 10 days of Amoxicillan and Prednisone fixed the blood and accidents. We are now 6 days into the 2ndblood occurrence and he's peed in my daughters crib our couch and hampers. He's on the same Meds as before but continues to have "accidents." Im at my witts end we have him locked out of all bedrooms but the peeing in random places is getting worse. Backstory is wet/dry fed 3.5 yrs now soley fed Purina indoor (started having loose stool) up until 6 days ago now on the c/d diet mixed with his previous indoor so he'll eat it. Drinks water well and chicken broth to increase the overall amount . We have no where to "put" him and im terrified mortified disgusted etc. My vet says this 2ndweek occurrence should be the last but for sanitary reason with a 1 year old im very concerned. Any input????

average joe 6 years ago

to johnt there is no such thing as the kindest thing to do being to put him down , how could putting him down for uti be the kindest thing to do ???:(((( , just make a pet insurance for God`s sake if u can`t afford his medical expenses and try to make him drink water or MIX WATER in his food daily .

God bless u & wish your pet a speedy recovery

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

There is unfortunately not much you can do at home for urinary tract infections other than providing fresh water and encouraging kitty to drink. If they are full, have you tried asking them if you can bring in a urine sample and if they could prescribe antibiotics after testing it? If your cat was seen within a year, some vets will do that. Best wishes!

abby 6 years ago

My 9 year old tabby cat is peeing in my bathrooms on the tile floor and tonight I found blood in it. We feed her mostly dry cat food other that what wet food she steals from the dogs. I want to take her to the vet but have a 14 year old beagle with kidney failure and just spent huge money and have not recovered from that yet. There are alot of suggestions but really what's the best thing to do in the mean time can not get her to the vet for a few days it's in the next town and there full.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

If the antibiotics did not work (they usually should cause improvement in the first 48 hours)x-rays may be the necessary next step to check for bladder stones and crystals, another potential cause for bloody urine. Being that he is a male, there are always risks he may be suffering from FIC which can be life threatening. So any time a male cat exhibits bloody urine, urinating in odd places and frequent urination FIC could be a culprit, and should not be underestimated you can read more about this here:

My 2 1/2 yr old cat starting going to his litter box every 5 minutes got me concerned. Took himm to the vet, got a urine sample he had bacteria, white blood cells, and red blood cells. She prescribed antibiotice for him. He has been on this for 9 days now. Diesel jumps into laundry baskets but today he must of peed in it and there is blood and urine. He eats green peas and duck. The vet wants to do x-rays but no kidding we are poor. I can't afford this. What do you think, honestly?

Sevon 6 years ago

My 5 yr old female cat has been urinating blood for a month or two now. I thought it was because of fleas I recently treated, in the form of her scratching her neck and forming scabs. I thank everyone for their input now I know where to start. I now feel bad for scolding her for peeing outside the litter box. Thanks everyone.

KWolf 6 years ago

Sorry I meant for Kibble...ORIJEN is the #1 Best DRY Food...Raw diets are best but hard to do & expensive with multiple multiple animals.

Wet food is not necessary!! (it just has moisture if an animal doesn't drink enough water). Can of tuna as a treat once a week is nice (if funds are low...Fancy Feast (usually horrible) but does have ONE can of FLAKED Fish & Shrimp (Royal Blue Can) again once a week as a TREAT (STAY AWAY FROM CORN Graines Glutens By-Products ALL BAD!!!

I have 33 & they are all on ORIJEN (cat & dog) IT IS THE BEST!! Fresh caught Free-Roaming No pesticides No Hormones RATED #1!!! A little more expensive but Feed less spend less! Pets will LIVE LONGER!

12Katz11 6 years ago

Most of U People R Freakin Me out....Learn about F.U.S. Tablets & Gel in a Tube...& Plain Vitamin C Tablets Use Humans Use....A Very Smart Vet told Me it is Vital Katz get Vitamin C...& Stop it with the Dry only Kat Food, they need Canned & then Dry in Moderation...Special Diets R Vets way if Gouging U....Demand A Blood Test B4 U React to anything...Read about Vit. C for Katz n what it does.... http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

Cassandra 6 years ago

My cat Charlie was two years old when he developed a urinary blockage. We took him to the vet, who said he could clear the blockage, but it would likely reappear. He recommended surgery; I don't remember what it was called, but I refer to it as "turning Charlie into a girl". They had to make a larger opening for him to urinate from, so the stones could pass freely. The vet promised it would completely fix the problem, so we spent the $1200 to have it done. Charlie has been a normal, rambunctious cat for the past six years. I am so glad we had the money at the time, but the incident encouraged us to buy pet insurance. As any animal lover knows, it is heartbreaking to have to put your pet to sleep because you can't afford to cure it.

Yogi1010 6 years ago

Our cat almost died while stressed when we added a cat to the household. We did a lot of doctoring! We got the added cat out finally but I believe it all caused damage to the remaining stressed cat. What made the difference for him were Feliway diffusers. They are like magic. After a year now, he still pees red periodically and is skinny but after reading this I believe I'll just try feeding him wet food and see if that helps.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

Some cats that do not drink enough may feel like drinking more with a cat fountain. I cannot predict what will happen after surgery. Of course, if they remove the stone and all goes well, she will obviously feel much better. But it would be important to find a way to stop these stones from recurring. Did your vet ever figure out what type of stones she had?

Baby 6 years ago

Thanks for your opinion Alexadry,I like the Cat so much, she is 6 years old, I hope she can stay longer with me, since second time her did surgery, she staring eat D/K dry food recommend by vet, but she doesn't like to drink water, therefore, after one year the problem (stone) comes back, to see the vet, the vet did all x ray, blood test,urine test..... then said, not thing can do by this time, only the way is when the stone is become bigger, do surgery again. Alexadry, I am very upset, I very don't want to put her in sleep or wait until her getting worse...I think, I will bring her to do surgery again, but, after that what happen ??????

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

This is something you will have to discuss with your vet. Did the vet put your cat on a special diet to prevent the stones from forming? How often a pet should go into surgery really depends on the condition being treated, the age of the pet, over all health status, etc. While stones can be a recurrent problem, if the stones are still forming despite two surgeries something may be amiss (water, diet, medications etc). At times, it helps to ask the opinion of another vet for alternative treatment options

Baby 6 years ago

My cat did twice surge for removed stones, now the stone is back again,( every two years) how many time does the cat can do surge for stone remove????

elle 6 years ago

ok so it just looked like someone was murdered in our sink and i freaked out. checked my cat and couldn't find any cuts then seen the litter box and was shoked to find blood. its too late to call a vet as we live in a small town. i feel the pain for the cat, reading up on articles to know what to do. some article say if you don't get help the cat can die in 24hrs. im quiet worried. we have no antibiotics or anything. any ideas of what else we can do??

Pamela 6 years ago

I have a male 5 year old Persian. He recently had diarrhea and today i noticed him peeing blood. So worried about him. Have scheduled a vet appointment tomorrow morning but after reading these posts am scared he's going to die. i've not had him long but love him so so much and can't bear the thought of losing him. Thinking its probably FLUTD but i feed him wellness dry and wet food and have recently added instinct food as well. Before i had him, his previous owner just gave him dry food and don't think he was ever ill. Very very worried.

Deb Catz 6 years ago

Years ago my persian Female was diagnosed with FUS..$100 to diagnose, $6 a can for food she refused to eat & an injection of antibiotics...I am into herbal medicines & thought I would try couch grass tea..I made a decocotion & kept it in the fridge & would give her a syringeful of it, as she wouldn't drink it from her water dish..A few years later another of my male cats was having the same problems..the vet wanted to do the test $100(already KNEW what was wrong) I could NOT afford it & was told he would DIE if I didn't bring him in, get the diagnoses & treatment..I chose to try the couch grass first & in a week he was better!!..I am not suggesting to use this form of treatment Exclusively, but it will help!!

Meagan and Archie 6 years ago

My 5 year-old and I are battling his current urinary issues. In the past two months he experienced three total blockages of his urethra and the most recent one was certainly the most harrowing.

I notice alot of you reading this article and the comments that follow it and thinking that just water and a can of wet food will solve the problem... don't be so naieve as to cost your cat his life. Male cats are extremely succeptible to the issue of blockages and FLUTD and should never be put off when there urine stops passing. They are peeing outside the litter box to tell you that something is wrong. It's our job as their owned to take them up on that and get them checked out. I made the mistake 4 weeks ago of waiting to see how he would be in the morning so I could take him to my vet, we rolled into the pet ER at 8pm that night because he was in a terrible state. Completely incapable of moving, frozen, dilated pupils, and his abdomen felt like an over filled foot ball. It was close to game over for him by the time I got him in there. He was on a catheter for a week with intravenous fluids administered until his urine ran clean. Suspect is struvite crystals so we had him on Hill's S/D for two weeks and switched him to the C/D for the rest of his life I'm imagining. But today :(2 1/2 weeks after the catheter was removed) there was aLOT of blood in his urine. Super red, super thick bloody urine. No bueno. Took his butt back to the vet and they prescriped us two weeks of Amoxycillin, and two weeks of Phenoxybenzamine to relax his bladder and urethra. Also he's on some killer pain meds too. Nothing so serious as to knock him out, but .1 ml twice a day to help remove discomfort to keep him in the litter box.

Cats will pee outside of their litter box when they find it to gross to walk around in (think of yourself in a porta-potty) , begin to associate it with the pain they feel when they urinate and so they don't want to go into it anymore, dimensions or too many animals using the same box.

moon 6 years ago

helpful info, im going to try some of the cranberry extracts listed. any other recommendations for my male cat who had foxtails stuck in urethra and ended up having his penis removed and now just has opening and its only been 3 months and has had 2 UTIs since. anyone have a good diet that i could try?

Tammy 6 years ago

This problem with the cats peeing blood is just because of not enough water. My vet was seeing dollars signs every time I came back to him. I already switched to Hills Prescription Diet for Urinary problems, did expensive tests, shots, and had 2 rounds of Baytril. The Baytril works well, but the blood returns 2-3 days later. The Vet never once told be to up the water intake. They just told me to keep bringing her back for more tests. I read cats are extremely picky about fresh cool water so I bought a cat fountain and a cheap 10 ml syringe at the store. I squirted 20ml of fresh water in her mouth 3 times a day and her urine problems cleared right up. If you squirt the water slowly into the side of their mouth around the mid to back molar, they automatically swallow. These cats are just dehydrated and the vets are making a killing. I believe it is a combination of too little water and cheap cat food that causes this common problem of urine in the bladder and the combination of other problems that go along with it. PS. I bought those cranberry and herbal products, no affect either. Water to flush the system is the best cure!!!

Kristen 6 years ago

I have noticed the past couple of weeks that one out of the 2 cats that I have has peed on the couch, and I did not know which one it was. But tonight I found that a small part of my pillow is wet and smelled like cat pee. So I threw that pillow in the floor to check the rest of the bed. And I was checking I heard a cat scratching (like they do in a liter box) and saw my black cat. So I ran over there and he ran off. But I look at the pillow and there is just a little bitty wet spot and its pinkish color. This means its a UTI right? And the only way to tell if there are crystals is to have hem checked right? The vet will be closed tomorrow (Sunday) and there isn't an animal hosptial around here. Will he be ok till Monday? I have had him since he was 3 weeks old and he has never peed anywhere out of the liter box. He seems to still be acting normal other than going out of the liter bix so thats a good sign right? I couldn't stand to lose him, it would be like losing a child. Also about how much is it to have a cat treated for UTI? Thank you and fingers crossed its nothing that some antibiotics cant fix.

Rachele 6 years ago

My cat has been fighting chronic renal failure since march and she recently was on antibiotics for four weeks for a uti but still has blood in the urine. The vet wanted to do an xray but they got flooded and now she's peeing all over the house! What should I do and what do you think is wrong with her?

Asproul 6 years ago

So my cat has been peeing in the tub for about a week now. Didn't think nothing other than he is a weird cat. Then last night I seen blood in his urine. Thanks to this post I know I need to get his to the vet asap.

Mel 6 years ago

I've had female cats all my life and fed them wet food. My husband and I took in a male cat for the first time 5 years ago and at that time were told that wet food, not dry could cause the crystals discussed here. We switched our female's diet and have bought purina indoor ever since. Lately we've noticed Max, the male peeing outside his litter box and then tonight there was blood as well. Hoping the vet is open tomorrow...

Ashley 6 years ago

I find the comments about switching to Wellness interesting. Our cat eats Wellness indoor (dry) food and recenty we started giving her Wellness canned in the evenings. She's having blood in her urine after the addition of wet food. Of course it could be totally unrelated to food, but wanted to give an alternative anecdote to the current "go with wellness" and "switch to canned"!

Bobbie 6 years ago

My cat, Weiss has been off the last two days. You just know when something is wrong with them, you know? Then today he started peeing blood, it scared me to death. He is going to the vet tomorrow. I'm just very grateful for the information this site has.

Misty L. 6 years ago

i'm glad i found this site...my brothers cat just peed blood like 15 minutes ago and i was really worried and know that i know it can be fatal i'm gonna make my parents take him to the vet i feel for those who lost their cats to this what a horrible fate

Kendra 6 years ago

I have a 9 year old male Bela, that is currently suffering from FIC and I feel it's definitely stress related in his case. Each time I rescue a stray neighborhood cat to be spayed/neutered, I put them in the guest room to recover for a few days or in some cases, I keep them in there until I can find homes for them. But soon after, I will notice a change in Bela's litter box habits. At the first sign of urine droplets outside the box, I take away all dry food and only give him wet food. I too have been giving my cats the Wellness Chicken or Turkey mixed with a little water. The vet also said to encourage water intake by adding a couple drops of liquid from a can of tuna to their water bowl or even adding a little salt to their food to increase thirst so they will drink more water. I try and feed smaller amounts of the wet food 4 times a day. I think the water intake is really important and of course, reduce the stressful situation.

pearl 6 years ago

my cat is peeing blood for a whole week. I gave him some antibiotics, but it doesn't work. He can pee, without any problem. He eats less and doesn't seem so energetic. I am going to test his urine. I've been waiting for several hours, but he just does not pee. Hope he will be fine. I can't bear to lose him.

jane 6 years ago

The usual cause for all of this is DRY (and cheap) cat food. Wellness makes great wet food for cats and it saved my cats life when she had crystals - and blood in her urine- NEVER feed a cat dry food- it will KILL them !

Nemo 6 years ago

I switched my cat to Wellness Chicken & Turkey diet about a week ago (I read online to stay away from beef). I add water to his wet food. I have eliminated the dry food all together and today we had a CLEAN litter box for the first time in several months! When I say CLEAN I mean NO BLOOD! I am super excited and I have to thank Alexadry for recommending that I read that article and making the recommendation to change his food. My cat had been on IAMS dry food for his ENTIRE life until now. I hope and pray for now that he continues to do well on this new food and we don't see anymore blood in his urine. I wish I had done this before I spent so much money at the Vet.

cj 6 years ago

ask your vet surgeon to suction out the bladder after they believe they have removed all of the stones. ALL of the stones, even the smallest, must be removed or your pet will quickly get a reocurrence.

My Little Bowie was diagnosed this week with the disease and I am feeding him canned food w/a little water (immediate switch from a lifelong dry diet). I pray he gets better, as all cats do!

Lori 6 years ago

I also had 1/2 c of water to my cats dry food

Lori 6 years ago

My cat is 11 and has had FIC for about 9 years. We have tried everything. We have changed the food to c/ d to no avail. We also tried Wellness food which the cat wouldn't eat. I even tried making all his food. I have my best luck when I add a drop of cider vinegar to his food but make sure not to give too much or they will throw up. Good luck

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

FIC stands for ''feline idiopathic cystitis'' idiopathic means that no cause may be found..so since your cat had already so many tests done and being a breed predisposed to it, I thought it may a possibility. Best wishes!

Nemo 6 years ago

@Alexadry - He did not have any crystals in his urine culture. I will ask the vet about FIC tomorrow but he has had so many tests done that one would think this would have been ruled out. I have talked to the vet about his diet. The vet said his diet was fine. We have always fed him Iams dry cat food with hairball treatment. Thank you for the feedback.

Author

Adrienne Janet Farricelli 6 years agofrom USA

If no cause can be found for the bleeding it could be you are dealing with FIC, ''Feline Idiopathic Cystitis'' Have you tried already a prescription urinary diet and canned food?

Our cat has been peeing blood for about 3 months now. We have had blood work done..everything was normal..we had given him 2 rounds of antibiotic for urinary tract infections..it did not clear up the problem..he has had x-rays to rule out stones..NO stones..he even had a clean urine culture done by inserting a sterile needle into his bladder and everything was normal! But he is still peeing blood! Now the vet wants to do an ultrasound and possible exploratory surgery and we don't know what to do? He has been a family member for 7 years. We bought him when he was a kitten. He is a pure bread Seal Point Himalayan. If anyone has any advice or has seen this problem..please let us know!